Automatic door closer



May 2s, 1929.

M. w. OTTO 1,714,887

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSER l Filed May 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 My 28, 1929. M w. o'r-ro 1 O y I AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSER l Filed May 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwomto'a Mizzefwatfo.

10 housing in one unit.v

Patented May 28, 1929.

' Vi/IILLER W. errno, or AnnonayILLINoIsfAssIGNoR v'rorIIIz LARIMER commuter f j AURORA;

ILLINOIS,

Y '.A'roMATIc Doon cLosIiR: i

Application filed ,may 2,y 1927. l serial No. 188,298.

My invention relates to automatic door closerswhereinspring means is employed'for closing the door and pneumatic means is employed forfcushioning the said closing operation.

Anobject ofthe invention isto provide a simple,- inexpensive and durable device of this character Which-is 4of compact construction having a pneumatic chamber and a spring Referring tothe drawings, which aremade Y a part hereof and in which similar referencey characters indicate similar,V parts, v

F igure'll is a side elevation illustrating va device constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the -sa-me applied, i Figure 2, a top plan View, r

Figure 3, an end elevation,

different method of mounting the device, Figure 5, a central horizontal section, Figure 6, a side elevationwith part of the casing broken. away,

- Figure 7, afperspectiveof a crank shaft, and.`

Figure 8, "a sectionztaken onthe line 8-8 of'Fig.6. Y y f In the drawings reference character 10 1ndicatesa housing or casing having a removable closure plate or cover 11 provided with a centrally disposed boss or bearing member 12 whichl forms in conjunctionwith afratchet sleeve13 disposed in a ycentrahbearingmember orboss `Min the opposite side of the casing, a bearing for a shaft 15. The shaft 15 .is flattened at its upper and lower ends 16 and 17 respectively for recept-ion of one arm 18 of a toggle lever, which comprises .pivotally connected arms 18 and 19, the .other arm 19 of which is adaptedto be connected to a member-such asa door 22 movable relatively ,to av supporter door fra-me 24 upon which the cas- `Ing or housing lO'is mounted so that when such relativemovement.occurs the shaft 15 will be given a partial rotation. f 'Ehe casing 10 is provided with a bracket 20 having apertures 21k for `fastening screws or the like for attachment ofthe casing directly on a door 22, as shown in Fig.4, orl upona bracket or foot 23 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. In order tomount the parts'in .-a different position with the casing 10is`upportedon-the 'door frame andl with the foot or bracket 23 ported.. f

28 in thev ratchet sleeve "13 and Figure 4, an end elevation illustrating a' vteeth of the ratchetgBO ofthe lever 19 pivoted to the door, I provide a flush.soliiteoiybracket 25 whichhas one endf for connection With the door 'f1-ameland has its other end of a shape corre'spondingto the Y bracket 20 ofthe saidbracket 20.y

With the device -mounted as above-descr1bed,sthe shaft 15 Will be rotated with each` movement ofthe door relative toits supporting frame and in order to cause.. the doorto close, I provide a spring 26 "for performing this function. iy The spring 26 comprises a sube stantiallyfiiatV band wound'V upon itself and having a hook 27 formed at its inner end for casing 10 byk means of whichV y l and its` casing may be sup-f y.

engagement ina longitudinally*disposed slot havingl ahook formed atlts outer end for engagement; with a slot 29 in the inner wall of the casing 10. In order totension the spring, the ratchet sleeve 13 is provided on its outer end; with a ratchet 30. Av plate 31 has a slot corresponding in shape toth'eflattenedend 17 ofthejshaft 15,

andthe outer end of such plate haspivoted thereon a pawl 32 for engagement with the tated toy tension the spring softhatthe shaft Will be held in a. fixed position relative to the casing in Whichitis supportech `When vthe ldevice is applied and the dooris openedthe spring will set to close thedoor.v n

The'important feature in conjunction with this is the plate 31 being in a ixedp'osition on the endofV the shaft 16and'nextfto the ratchetffl.v This eliminatesthe changing of the sprlngor any ofthe 'parts for right or left, hinge or jamb side doors. This ismjade possible on account ofv plate assembly'l being in a fixed position onshaft-l and next to ratchet 30, which vis.engagedwith they spring and with pawl 32 engaged inrfatchet 30.. The

tension ofthe spring is provided byvvin'dingf When-the same isrothe ratchjet Whichjis Woundjalways 1n the same f direction for both right and left :hand door-s.

Another feature in connection with the same Vis that the spring or eccentric shaft 16 moves always in the same, direction regardless of which end ofthe shaftarm lever the door, a cylinder 33 is provided having one endclosed byv means of acap 34 andlin which is disposed a piston 35l connected by means of a connecting rod'- 36 Withl. a` crank 37. on Lthe it is attached. Inorderto cushion the closing operation of shaft 15. The cylinder 33fis` threaded or otherwise detachablysecured in thecasing l()` .and the 'cap 34. is threaded orgotherwise sefwith the piston 35, io'

Y tenance of such piston in proper position, I

provide a piston guiding washerorelement 43 on thepiston bolt 39 andV secure the same thereon byineans of a nut 44. Asprin'g eX- Q pander '45 is providedvfor holding thecup posed in the cap34,

. L leather or piston packing-38 evenly4 or.V

smoothly against'the kinner wall ofthe cylin-` y. der, vsuchY spring .expander being. `disposed between vthe guiding washer 43 and the piston packing.-v .When the piston is moved toward the end of theeylinder upon which is mounted the cap 34, air willbeentrapped in the end 'of v such cylinderpand prevent' a sudden 'action of the spring. y v y `An' air check regulating screw 46 is dissuch screw? having a tap'eredv flattened side which, when-the screw ismoved longitudinally, controls the'escape offair from the cylinder 33. A lockV nut 47 is provided for securing said adjusting screw `in fixed position.

In order toallow sufiici'ent air to enter the Cylinder when the piston is moved away from the cap which has a head provided with a leather packing adapted to seat' against the'innersurface of the cap and having a stem with fiat surfaces which permit air to be drawn into the cylinder upon the backward travel of the piston, such valvebeing closed by compression upon the forwardtravel of the piston.

The concentric shaft'l is of a peculiarv shape designed to permit the crank 37, formed preferably integral therewith, to travel suliiciently to permita full stroke of the piston and in order to permit such action, the shaft is provided: with an eccentric 49 having a slot or recess 5()V therein in which the connecting '-rod 36 isA adapted to be disposed when the door is `open and thepiston is in a position opposite that shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In order Vto'provide means for holding the shaftlin a fixedposition with the door open, I provide a brake-or friction plate 5l secured 'at one end by means'of ascrew 52 in the casing 10 and with its free end disposed in appositiony so that the crank `37`wil1- pass over the same.A In order to cause the plate 5l tofrictionally engage lhe crank 37 an adjusting screw 53 is provided. This adjusting screw maybe screwed into the casing. against the `plate 517to raise the plate to frictionally enis supported anfoppositely bolt 39 in engagennent' .j described, in the specification,

forth in the appended claims.

34y I providey such cap with a valve 48Y having its ends gage the crank 37 when it reaches the desired position of holding open the door. When the door'is held' open by giving ita slight push itwill close actionvof the spring 2 .l Y l V It will lbe obvious to those 'skilled inthe art that various chanvesm'aybe inade'in my device, the invention, and

myself to what is shown in the' friction plate, by under the the drawings and Having thus fully described ymy invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secureby K Letters Patent is:

l., A combined-loer closer and check comj prising a casing, a cylinder communicating;

withsaid casing, ashaft disposed within said casing, a crank arm in said casing on. sai shaft, aneccentric on said shaft at 4oneside without departing fromthe spirit of n I, therefore, do not limit but only asset of the crank arm and provided witha Slot to Y permit the operation of the 4crank arm fzf through an' angle of said. casingk and' itsoppositefend connected with the shaft, a-piston 180", a spring coiled i about said shaftand having one end engaging in Vsaid cylinder and f ay pitman connectingsaid crankarm and pis- .j

ton, substantially as set forth.

2. lAn automatic door closer comprising a casing, a shaft mounted in said casing-and provided with'an eccentric intermediate its ends, a crank arm at lone side of said eccentric,

a cylinder :associated with Vsaid casing, a piston in saidicylinder, a pitman connecting said vcrank arm and piston, said eccentric being provided with a slot to permit said crank'arm to move with said pitinan A to a diametricallyffopposite position, spring means tending to maintain saidl shaft' ina predetermined position and a friction brake for engaging said crank arm for-maintaining the same in iXed position, substantially .as set forth. v 1 Y f 3. In a casing, means Vrotatable withinv said casing, lever mechanism for connecting said rotatable ico from one position door .closerthe combination ofa member and a door, spring means tending to Y rotate said rotatable member for closing-the` door, and a friction plate mounted in saidk casing and adjustable to aposition to engage the rotatable member -to prevent its opera'- tion, substantially as set forth.

casing, al shaft mounted in said casingrand having its ends projecting therefrom, a conjnection vfor attachment with eitherend of said shaft, and to a' door, spring means 'for rotatving said shaftin one direction, anf eccentric on said shaft and a connection between the shaft and eccentric permitting the shaft to be roprojecting therefrom, a con- 4. An automatic door'closer comprising a door closer. comprising a mount/ed in saidrcasing andV tating said nection for lattachment with either endV of" saidshaft, and to a door, spring means forro-- vshaft in one direction, an ec# centricV on said shaft, a :connection between the shaft and eccentric permitting the shaft to he rotated through an angle of substan-- tially 180 degrees,

and an adjuetahle friction Y y in lfixedV position, sulostantally"as set forth.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto slet 10` my hand at A-urorzr, Illinois, this 28th-day of' April, I). nineteen hundred and twenty-'kv seven., K Y Y i Y I MILLER WOTTO. 

